New Years' Resolutions?

Every New Years' I try to think of what needs changing, what went well, what went wrong. It's a debrief for the year.

A lot changed this year. Not sure of what to resolved yet. My resolutions are not so much a promise of what to do, but a 'regroup', usually fine tuning and redirecting. In the past, it's led to moving to a different city, life changes, and career changes. Mostly not so dramatic.

This year? Too soon to say. Time to start thinking about it.

My biggest challenges are too much work, and trying to do too much. So maybe I'll work on focus. Oh, and the new project is already decided, as I've mentioned elsewhere, beekeeping.

Replies to This Discussion

My wife used to be a beekeeper. She still has the suit, but she actually rarely wore it (bees just love her to death).

As for New Year's Resolutions, I resolved many years ago never to make them.

I do like Calvin (of Calvin and Hobbes) version of the Serenity Prayer though: "The strength to change what I can, the inability to accept what I can't, and the incapacity to tell the difference." That would make a good New Year's Resolution.

Last year I resolved to learn to make tamales. It didn 't happen. That will go on this year's list too.

Even though it's not new years yet, I bought the hive and gear yesterday. There is a beekeeping store in Portland. Who would have thought that? I have a couple of beekeeping books I am reading, and reserved a bee colony from another bee store near Portland. So that might actually happen.

The biggest challenge for me is work/life balance. I wish I could resolve something about that, but it's hard to think of something. Having some interesting things to escape to, mentally, is part of trying to make that fo betterl

Melinda, it sounds like you are at a crossroads, but to what? "The year of seeing what I do next" certainly sounds exciting! Keep us posted!

Same as James Kz. Made a resolution about two decades ago never to make another resolution. I'm not trying to be flippant. But, it's kind of like the politician who signed Grover Nordquist's pledge for no taxes - ever, never, till the end of time, cross my heart and hope to die. Now, some of those politicians who are not complete invertebrates, are realizing what a corner they boxed themselves into. I prefer to keep my personal options open. You never know when you might just have to change.

By the way, good luck with bee keeping. If anything, you're example has me thinking about getting back into vegetable gardening. Been a while, and I do like the end products.

I'm not a great fan of New Year's resolutions, mostly because I'm supposedly obliged to make them at a time when I may or may not feel moved to resolve anything, then later to take action to fulfill those resolutions when the time is presumably propitious to do so. To this I respond as Vice President Joe Biden did so popularly during his debate with Paul Ryan:

Malarkey.

I submit that creating such resolutions artificially is in too many cases creating a self-fulfilling failure, and I see no point in participating in such a counterproductive activity. I act on things needing action as and how I see a need and feel the desire to engage in such action. Doing so when I am sufficiently moved to do so strikes me as being not just infinitely more effective but more HONEST, and that is my personal preference.

Looks like I'm in the minority, by far! :) What else is new? Not trying to "convert" anyone, so each to his own!

I like to take stock of my life now and then. By making it annual, it's a way to do it at leoast once a year. Otherwise it can be forgotten, at least by me. Could be birthday, or Arbor day (a great choice!) or Mother Theresa's confirmation day. For me it's New Years.

It was that process that led me to joint the Army in my crazy youth - for many not a wise decision, but worked wonders for me. And to come out to myself as gay, another year. And to go to grad school, another year. And quit smoking, also in my crazy youth. And move from Indiana to Oregon. And learn to bake pies. And become a bread baker. And move on from the death of my partner in the 80s. And, now that I think of it, to seek an online atheist community.

Not every resolution was good, or kept (like learning to make tamales), but in the long run, I'm happy to use this time to reflect, cogitate, ruminate, pontificate, masticate, and elaborate. Just made those up.

It's also a way to look beyond that holiday-that-shall-remain-nameless, to the future. And think about something other than the darkness, dreary days, chill, long nights.

Regardless of whether others do the same, and honestly each to their own, I hope everyone is doing well this winter and in the year to come. You are all very appreciated. Very glad you are there, and on here.